The present invention relates to a body structure of a vehicle, and particularly relates to a side body structure of a vehicle in a hinge pillar, and a part therearound.
Generally, when a vehicle experiences a frontal collision, a pair of left and right front-side frames provided in a front part of the vehicle extending in vehicle longitudinal directions, crashes and absorbs the impact load, and via the front-side frames, distributes the impact load to various vehicle parts, in order to reduce cabin deformation.
When a so-called small overlap collision where the vehicle overlaps with a collision object at an outer side of the front-side frame in vehicle width directions occurs, a front wheel in the overlapped area may move rearwardly (retreat) with respect to the vehicle body and the impact load may be applied from the front wheel to a hinge pillar extending in a vehicle vertical direction.
The applied impact load is distributed rearwardly via structures, such as a side sill extending rearwardly from a lower end of the hinge pillar, a front pillar extending upwardly and rearwardly from an upper end of the hinge pillar, and an impact bar of a front door attached near the hinge pillar. The distribution of the load from the hinge pillar to various parts on the rear side reduces the retreating of the hinge pillar and a dashboard and, as a result, reduces the cabin deformation.
Generally, the hinge pillar is continuously formed with a closed section space extending vertically between the inner and outer hinge pillar members, and thus, a suitable load transmission occurs between the lower end and the upper end of the hinge pillar. Further, the side sill is continuously formed with a closed section space extending in the vehicle longitudinal directions, and thus, a suitable rearward load transmission via the side sill is achieved.
Here, if buckling occurs in a front end part of the side sill due to a frontal impact load applied to the hinge pillar, the load cannot effectively be distributed rearwardly via the side sill.
Regarding this inconvenience, JP2013-159290A discloses a structure in which an inner reinforcing member extending in vehicle longitudinal directions is disposed inside a connecting part between a lower end part of a hinge pillar and a front end part of a side sill to form another closed section space. It is considered that the bucking of the front end part of the side sill is reduced in this structure. According to this structure of JP2013-159290A, an impact load is effectively distributed rearwardly via the side sill extending rearwardly from the lower end part of the hinge pillar.
Although the frontal impact load applied to the hinge pillar of the conventional vehicle is distributed rearwardly via the side sill, the front pillar, and the impact bar of the front door as described above, there still is room for improvement in the side body structure provided to such a conventional vehicle, in order to distribute the load rearwardly more stably.